Brew pub dream coming true for Massillon man

Saturday

Mike Malinowski hopes to open Paradigm Shift craft brewery by Halloween on North Avenue NE.

MASSILLON Mike Malinowski's dream is to create his own taste, and that bubble is brewing toward fruition with his first business.

Since late July, Malinowski has been building his 5,000-square-foot brewery, called Paradigm Shift, at 128 North Ave. NE. He said it will feature eight blends of craft beer. Flavors on tap will be an IPA, stout, fruity blend, Oktoberfest, Belgium-style, lawnmower or transition blend, all-natural pumpkin and his specialty, a toasted coconut-crème ale.

"I've been home brewing for 10 years, so this is like trying to learn how to ride a bike again," said Malinowski, noting that he has had to tweak his style of brewing due to larger equipment and varying temperatures needed to brew beer in higher quantities.

The brew pub has a tentative opening date of Halloween, according to Malinowski, who said he wouldn't mind starting to serve suds by Oct. 28 — the day of the annual Massillon Tigers and Canton McKinley Bulldogs football game. Growlers, glasses, tasters and kegs of beer will be offered on Day 1, while to-go bottled beer in the form of six packs might be available down the line.

Paradigm Shift will boast a 24-foot industrial-style bar and a tasting room to accommodate up to 50 people, Malinowski said. An outdoor patio also will be available to patrons.

Overall, the pub is likely to employ four, Malinowski said, including three bartenders or servers, and one brew specialist to assist him in the equipment room. No food will be prepared and sold inside the business, but food trucks, such as Lobster Louie's, will be invited on weekends.

Malinowski, a former manager at Kraft Foods who has lived in the city for 20 years, is in the process of garnering state and federal permits allowing him to brew beer and sell it. He already has installed a seven-barrel brewing system with three fermenters.

"This is my first foray into the business world," he said. "I'm hoping if we have stuff like this place around, we can draw more people to Massillon."

Bargain hunting

Malinowski said he scoured the country (online) for equipment to fill his pub and make beer. His brewing system was purchased in Goodland, Kan; fermenters were bought in Fort Collins, Colo.; brite tanks in Seline, Mich.; and his grain mill is from Sheboygan, Wisc.

"Everything I need to brew was gotten for a bargain," Malinowski said. "It's mostly coming from owners of restaurants or bars who are upgrading and getting rid of stuff."

Malinowski, 55, said he wants to make a mark in the local beer business by fundamentally changing people's beverage of preference from domestic drinks to the craft variety.

"That's how I got the name (of the brewery)," he said. "I want to have people transition to a Paradigm Shift way of tasting."

Itch began overseas

The bug for brewing beer was sparked in the mid-1980s, while Malinowski was an infantryman in the U.S. Army. He was stationed in Bamberg, Germany, and frequented a variety of pubs, enjoying the taste and quality of the beers offered there.

"You get used to the taste and come back to the U.S., and there's nothing (but domestic beer)," he said.

Malinowski got started brewing by doing his own research and through trial and error. He honed his craft by attending the Society of Akron Zymurgists, a homebrew club that meets monthly in Akron.

"He really seems to know a lot about it," David Maley, the city's economic development director, said of Malinowski's expertise in brewing. "And his location could be a spur for that part of downtown."

Paradigm Shift will be located about a block west of the new First North building, an approximately 26,000-square-foot professional office building slated to be ready for occupancy in mid-September.

More businesses en route

Maley said at least two more businesses have plans to open in Massillon this year.

Dunkin' Donuts is opening a location on Erie Street S, between Friends and Family Credit Union and Tractor Supply Co. Maley said there is no timetable for the shop to open. A site plan for the donut shop has been submitted and approved by the city, he said.

Tremont Coffee Shop is preparing to open prior by year's end at the old Modern Ritual location, 28 Erie St. N, Maley said.

In addition, a fast-food restaurant is looking to relocate from one spot in Massillon to another, and a gas station could be coming to the city's northeast side, he said.

Reach Steven at 330-775-1134 or at steven.grazier@indeonline.com.

On Twitter: @sgrazierINDE

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